


Black Tar

by AlphaAquilae



Series: Slice of Life [2]
Category: Hyper Light Drifter
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Chronic Illness, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 12:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18164957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaAquilae/pseuds/AlphaAquilae
Summary: After a surprise attack in the west left Alt injured and unconscious, her shade had hauled her back to Central for help. Alt hasn't been afflicted for as long as most other drifters, and Co'alt isn't sure how to cope when she shows signs of getting worse. Guardian is there.





	Black Tar

Eerie quiet flooded Guardian’s home. Only the rain tapping against the windows whispered into Guardian’s ears as they stood before a desk. Maps, metal scraps and blueprints littered the ground around them, shoved off the tabletop in a hurry. An unconscious Alt lay in front of them, breath shallow, hands cold as the knight’s armor.  
They felt a light tug at their cape.  
_“Is there anything I can do?_ _Anything at all?”_ , Co’alt signed, her grief tying Guardian’s guts into knots.  
Their eyes met for a moment. A _No_ rested decidedly on back of their throat, but there it would stay. Such accidents weren’t rare—the disease catching a drifter off-guard, a waiting hunter graciously exploiting a lapse in concentration. But physically, all that could’ve been done to help… has been done. Guardian’s hands were stained pink, they’ve carried their friend down the path of recovery as far as they could.  
Now it was up to Alt to do the rest.  
“She’s tough,” they spoke, stepping closer to their patient. “Worrying too much would only insult her if I’ve learned anything. The best either of us can do is wait.”  
_“But-”_  
They slid their arms beneath her back and knees to pick the drifter up. Co’alt rose from her seat frantically, shadowing the Guardian’s every move. Quietly, Guardian admired her boundless loyalty and care. _“Be careful,”_ she urged them.  
They set her down upon the couch, mindful of her injuries, scanning her bandaged stomach and arm for fresh blood. They remained clean so far.  
“It’s alright, she’ll be well. Do you need sleep?” Guardian inquired after tucking Alt in.  
Co’alt fidgeted with the hem of her cape, quietly staring at her origin. “ _No. I’ll keep watch._ ”  
Somehow that caused them more worry than reassurance. Their conscience told them to stay, keep her company, but everything… everything else screamed for rest. Their eyes hurt. They wanted the blood off of their gloves. They’ve done all they could.  
After a few seconds of contemplation, Guardian stepped away from Alt. “Very well. Don’t hesitate to wake me for any reason.”  
Co’alt simply gave a nod.  
  
Guardian awoke to something pushing against their right shoulder. “I’m here, I’m awake--” instinct commanded them to speak before their eyes even opened. “…What is it?”  
Silence persisted.  
With a quiet sigh, the knight turned their head to the right, peeking directly into Co’alts light blue eyes. “Oh.” That explains it. “Is everything alright?”  
The shade removed—what Guardian now identified as her hand—from their shoulder to begin signing. _“Alt hasn’t stirred. I can’t hear her or reach her… I’m scared.”_  
They quickly got up to take a better look at Co’alt. “What did I tell you earlier?”  
Her clawed hands clutched the sheets of their bed for a moment, her inner conflict shining through her hesitation. Only when Guardian didn’t continue to speak did she raise her hands once more. _“She’s never been gone for such a long time. This isn’t like her.”_  
“There’s nothing to be done about it,” they stated firmly. That was one of the first lessons the sickness had taught them. “If she’s meant to wake up, she will.”  
Something akin to a wail escaped the shade, yet she didn’t speak. With a dipped chin, she glanced towards the doorway to the living room.  
Guardian could only guess at what could help Co’alt. “Can you sleep at all?”  
A half-hearted nod was her answer.  
“Sleep, then,” they spoke, draping their warm blanket around the shade’s shoulders. Their heart ached when she turned around to inspect them with an almost astounded demeanor.  
_“I… are you sure? What if she wakes up?”_  
“I think there will be less complications if it’s my face she first encounters,” they explained with a small chuckle. “And yes, I’m positive. Please rest.”  
With less resistance than expected, Co’alt crawled onto their guest-bed, taking in the texture as if she’d never laid in one before. Guardian waited until she was all settled in before walking to the doorway.  
“Do you need anything else?”  
She shook her head, finding some solace in her newfound snugness. Guardian couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Then I’ll wake you as soon as Alt is back with us.”  
Quietly, the knight hoped they could do well on their promise.  


**Author's Note:**

> Shades take on the pronouns of their origin - generally, shades aren't considered their own person, merely a part of who they came from. It's been observed that shades are usually a strong antithesis to their origin.  
> Speech impairment due to sickness crowned sign language as a useful alternative to speaking among drifters and scholars. Meanwhile, relatively few civilians and other factions unaffiliated with the drifters are seen using this method of speech. 
> 
> Mb I should give lore its own post. presenting it this way is probably slightly annoying


End file.
